"Kazuma... W-w-what do you mean by that?". Chris was panicking

"Calm down Chris...". She didn't calm down at all.

"Anyways, I need to go test my skills first...". She gave a nod as acknowledgement."Then, I'll go rescue Iris...". Chris nodded again, although with a little bit of fear in her eyes."Then, I'll destroy the entire world, as any proper demon lord should"

"KAZUMAAAAA!" Sniff sniff. Oups, I teased her too much.

"Relax, I was toying with you". Although not exactly. One way or the other, I had to do something.

I definitely need to find what she is hiding, but priorities first, to save Iris... I mean test my skills and the skills of my party, then save Iris and then destroy the world, hehehe. Moreover, I didn't want to start a commotion right away, me being the new demon lord, I couldn't simply go there and talk.

"Chris, I need your help. Tonight, we rescue Iris, together."

"Okay, I'll gladly help but promise me you won't try to destroy this world."

"I promise. I promise that I wont... destroy... the world." She looked at me with suspicion, but still chose to trust me, apparently. Then she left the same way she came.

"Damn, she's such a good thief that she does sneaky stuff like this during the day".

It was around lunch so I wonder what were the girls up to. We should eat and test our skill on the giant toads. Those should be easy for us, now that I'm the demon lord and the three became my kinda trusted generals.

Sigh.

"Let's see what they are up to? Weren't they going to prepare something".

While going down to the kitchen, the smell was increasing getting better and better. It seemed that they had already prepared some tasty food. So much so that I started drooling.

"Ehhh. Why is the door locked?". So I knocked. "Is everything alright in there?".

"D-d-don't... co... me... In...". Ehhh, why?

"What are you hiding?". I started pushing hard enough and the locked door began breaking. Hehe, they seriously thought this would stop the demon lord?

"Noo... N... Noooo".

I was shocked... Completely out of breath... I looked like a crime scene, a massacre...

"Oh, the humanity..."

There they laid, not only completely out of energy but clearly weighted down by some overfilled bellies. Food leftovers and sauce sprayed over the the entire kitchen, everything that managed to escape their vicious mouths.

As my breath started coming back. "PFFFFFF.. HAHAHAHA"

"Don't look... Please don't look... My femininity...". Sure.

"Says the resident loli". I immediately sensed her fury, but that fury still couldn't manage to lift her body in that state.

"My... My... Knighthood... My elegance... My respect..." Sure, sure.

"As if you had any of those". I also felt some fury emanating from her, but in the end she only managed a small squirm... I guess that I know which side of her won that battle.

And...

"Aqua... Aqua...". She didn't respond, so I approached her. "Aqua...". Mhhh. "Aqua... I think this is a good opportunity to tell you I finished your booze"

Shwak.

"Hey!". She grabbed my foot, and was holding it with unimaginable strength. "L-let go Aqua".

"You... Youuuuuuu".

"Hehehe". She can't do much in such state.

Uhhh? She was mumbling something, but I couldn't really understand it.

Pshhh... Pshhh... Pshhh... PSHHHHHHHHHHH!

If felt something... Something I really didn't like...

"What is wrong with you, Aqua?!

"Hehehe". She almost seemed proud of herself... This demon.

"PFFFF". Damn, the other two were watching too.

"Aqua, how dare you to launch a party trick in my pants... Now it looks like I pissed my self".

"He... He... He...". Grrrr. I'll later find a way to get back at her.

I think I'll eat later, by myself. I can't let them get back at me for this... Well, now that they are back to normal, we can finally go on with the plan.

"Ok, let's forget what happened and move on". Grrrr, they were still giggling.

"W-whatever, we need to go practice our new skills and how my passive skill affect yours".

"Yes... Kashuma"... Come on Megumin. She can be so cruel.

"I fully agree...". Since when does Aqua agree on anything I say. "Lord Kashhhhhhhhuma". I... Will... Make... Them... PAY!

"Ummm"

"No!". I interrupted Darkness and pointed at her. I won't let her add on to the farce. "Don't you dare to say anything remotely related to it"

Darkness looked at me. She looked embraced by her thoughts.

"Shure".

"DAMN YOU ALL!"

"HAHAHAHA". Megumin and Aqua couldn't hold it any longer.

We regained our composure and agreed to go and test out our skills. So, we went to the giant toad fields, outside Axel.

"This brings back memories"

"It sure does"

"But this time, we aren't afraid... Hehehe... We are way more powerful now". Megumin was remembering her explosion of this morning. "Much more powerful".

Crack!

"There is one". A giant toad broke out of the ground, not too far away from us.

"Ok, I'll try my range skill first".

I lifted my bow, placed in an arrow. "Let's how much more damage I make"

"Snipe". The arrow flew out.

To me, it seemed no different than usual, but...

"AHHHHHH". Bang!

I looked behind me, where the girls were standing, and now they weren't there anymore. They flew a few meters back. "Wow". Apparently my snipe ability was too strong.

I quickly looked towards the giant toad.

BOOOOOM.

"The toad... It exploded...". I slowly and calmly put the bow down. "Maybe I should be careful with this one form now on".

Crack. Another giant toad came up near the one I just destroyed. It probably felt the hit.

"Let me try Kazuma". Aqua was up already. "This time I can do it". Then she ran off to the toad. Is she stupid? She's trying her God Punch again. Well maybe this time it will work.

SMACK.

"Mmmm"... Nope, she's still useless.

The giant toad looked at her... And... Grabbed her with her mouth.

"Damn, what a useless demon"

"What do we try next?" Darkness was up and ready next to me.

"Let me think"

"KAZUMAAAAAA". Aqua was panicking, as usual.

"Let's seeeeee"

"Damn you Kazuma"

"Ok ok, Darkness, Try your decoy skill, to lure the toad here, so that I don't have to run to it, and I'll take it down with my trusted sword".

"Chunchumaru". Now Megumin was up and ready

"Shut it"

"Ok Kazuma... There!"

Crack.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

"WHAT THE!". Darkness' decoy skill became overpowered when she's next to me.

The giant toad spat Aqua out of her mouth because now it had a more alluring target. Unfortunately for us, it wasn't the only one.

"Kazum-ma... Aren't they... Looking at me differently". At that moment I noticed that to the giant toads, not only Darkness had managed to grab their attention, but she become the target that giant toads would give everything to get. I have never though I would see giant toads in awe.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

"HOLY SHIT". All the giant toads rushed at us.

"Megumin, nuke them! Nuke them all!".

"I already spent my E-X-P-L-O-S-I-O-N for today". Shit, that's true.

I lifted my sword.

"Chunchumaru".

"Hey, don't interrupt my thoughts".

"AHHHHHH"

The giant toads came for Darkness like an avalanche.

They hurled at us like if gigantic boulders were being thrown at us.

I was pushing some back... Damn I'm strong.

I was swinging my sword and defeating them left and right... Damn I'm strong.

"Ka... ma...". There were still too many, so Darkness was dealing with tens of them at the same time. She was... fighting?

"Hey, fight back". She was clearly enjoying it.

"There... That... That was the.. Last one". I needed to catch up on my breath.

"Kazuma...".

"Yes yes, no need to thank me".

"You should have waited a little". This pervert.

"Kazuma...". Aqua came back to us. "Let me heal her up". Finally she's doing something useful.

Aqua sat down next to Darkness, closed her own eyes and chanted something...

Ehhh?

Me and Megumin noticed something of the small bright that usually appeared around Aqua's hands, it was a denser violet aura.

"Oh, yeah, she's a demon now".

EhhhhhhHHHH?!

The aura kept expanding... And expanding... And expanding... I seemed to cover at least 30 meter around it suddenly vanished.

Finally Aqua opened her eyes.

"Do you feel better Darkness?"

"Yes Aqua. Thank you".

Krrrkkkkrrrkkrkrkkr.

Please no...

We looked around and were left in shock... All the giant toads started to reform. Their parts were reattaching... And that was not all...

"K-k-k-k-kazuma... Why do they make that sound when moving? And why do they exude such a strange aura".

Oh no... TRUE!... Aqua's effects were reversed now, so she heals now monsters too. And since she's near me, her area of effect increased massively.

"Don't worry Kazuma...". Ehhh, why is Aqua this confident?. "Sacred exorcism!" NOOOO!

The giant toads screamed heavily and terrifyingly.

"Kazuma...". I bet I know what Megumin was about to ask."Did they just evolve into a higher tier of giant toads?". Yup, it looks like they did.

"I had enough for today... Teleport"

We were back at our home... What a failure was today.

"It will be night soon... Let's take it easy, we need to rest".